That article declares: 'There shall be neither Slavery nor
involuntary servitude within the said Territory.'

"The citizens of Clark County, in their remonstrance, express
their sense of the impropriety of the measure, and solicit the
Congress of the United States not to act on the subject, so as to
permit the introduction of slaves into the Territory; at least,
until their population shall entitle them to form a constitution
and State government.

"Your Committee, after duly considering the matter, respectfully
submit the following resolution:

"_Resolved_, That it is not expedient at this time to suspend the
sixth article of compact for the government of the Territory of
the United States northwest of the river Ohio."

Thus ended in defeat the stubborn effort to secure a restriction of
the ordinance of 1787, and the admission of slavery into the Territory
lying west of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, now comprising the
States of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

In his message to Congress at the commencement of the session of
1806-7, President Jefferson suggested to that body the wisdom of
abolishing the African slave-trade. He said in this connection:

"I congratulate you, fellow-citizens, on the approach of the
period at which you may interpose your authority,
constitutionally, to withdraw the citizens of the United States
from all further participation in those violations of human
rights which have so long been continued on the unoffending
inhabitants of Africa, and which the morality, the reputation,
and the best interest of our country have long been eager to
proscribe."

This portion of the message was referred to a select committee; and in
due time they reported a bill "to prohibit the importation or bringing
of slaves into the United States or the territories thereof after the
31st day of December, 1807."

Mr. Early, of Georgia, the chairman of the committee, inserted a
clause into the bill requiring that all slaves illegally imported
"should be forfeited and sold for life for the benefit of the United
States." A long debate ensued and was conducted with fiery earnestness
from beginning to end. It was urged in support of the above
regulation, that nothing else could be done but to sell them; that it
would never do to release them in the States where they might be
captured, poor, ignor